


Tarasque

by Morphfang



Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M, My crippling social anxiety won't stop me this time, No Beta, ShinIchi 2020, first fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:40:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23321098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morphfang/pseuds/Morphfang
Summary: Ichigo had done many things in his life. But being thrown into another dimension was not one of those things. To say he's a bit angry would be understatement.
Relationships: Hirako Shinji/Kurosaki Ichigo
Comments: 5
Kudos: 105





	1. A Bad Beginning

To say that Ichigo was pissed would be an understatement. Why? Because currently he's stuck in a completely different dimension, with no idea where he was, what laws existed, and, more importantly,  _ no way home. _ He probably wouldn't be nearly as livid if he had gone back in time. At least then he'd know where he was and what would happen. But nooo, he had to be thrown in some kind of fantasy land with royalty, magic, and  _ actual fucking dragons _ . At least he still had his zanpakuto. Thank god for small mercies.

Honestly, with his luck, it had only been a matter of time before something this far-fetched happened. He had fought gods, defeated armies, and helped Soul Society create an alliance with a race that had previously hated their guts. He had lived without two-thirds of his soul for fuck's sake. Being thrown into another dimension was far from the most outrageous thing he had ever been through. Thankfully there was a town nearby filled with people who were willing to answer some of his questions.

Apparently, this world was divided into four main Kingdoms: The Reich, Grandes Noches, Kuroi Machi, and the Extorris. There were some smaller Kingdoms but they didn't have nearly enough power or resources to expand their empire. Sentia, the town he was currently in, resided on the border of Extorris and Grandes Noches.

And, because nothing in life was free, he had immediately been sent on a mission by the local townsfolk who had insisted that he help them with their monster problem in exchange. And by 'help' they meant kill any monsters in the surrounding area because they were "untamable creatures who could not be reasoned with." A statement that was quickly proven incorrect by his first encounter.

( _ He wished he could say he was surprised. He really did. _ )

When he had first approached the creature, which was twice the size of a horse with black scales that shone violet in the light, it had immediately taken the offensive. Spewing green fire from its maw and whipping its tail protectively around itself as he defended himself with a mix of blut vene and heirro. It had taken a grueling fifteen minutes of shooting countless ceros and getsuga tenshous before the beast finally fell. Wincing as he sheathed Zangetsu, he walked over to its body only to freeze when he met its eyes. Eyes that were full of pain and fear. Something he saw in his own whenever he woke from a particularly bad dream.

Shame and guilt crawled across his skin as he walked closer, slowly extending his hand towards it. The dragon weakly lifted its head and pressed it against his palm with lick and a soft keen. Ichigo swallowed thickly and tried to ignore the tremble in his hands.

This was just an animal, wasn't it? Not a human or a hollow which killed for pleasure or sport. No, this was an animal who had just been following its instinct to protect itself from a perceived threat. Crouching beside the beast, he paced its head in his lap before focusing on healing the most life-threatening injuries he could see. A quiet "I'm sorry Azrafel" left his lip before the dragon suddenly bursted into ribbons.

Before he could comprehend what was happening, the ribbons rushed to his right hand and were absorbed into his palm, black lines sprouting out of his palm before settling into the form of a circle.

Several seconds went by with Ichigo just staring at his hand before giving himself a mental shake. He was in a  _ fantasy _ land, of course shit like this was going to happen. But the real question was why. Why had it( _ he _ ) burst into ribbons? Why had he called it( _ him _ ) Azrafel? If you defeat a monster do you automatically receive its name? If so, why? What was its purpose? And what's the deal with the runes on his hand? If a monster submits to you does that mean you can summon it? Is that what the circle was for? There was only one way to find out.

The last two questions would be the easiest to answer so he started with them. After shouting various commands ("I summon thee." "Awaken and appear before me." "I swear to whatever gods exist in this world, if you don't get out here  _ right now _ .") and pulling various poses, he was finally able to summon Azrafel. It took significantly less time for him to figure out how to unsummon. With that out of the way, it was time for him to test out his hypothesis about submission and naming.

After searching for an hour, he finally stumbled across another monster. And by stumbled he meant tripped. A sleeping tatzelwurm with short iridescent black fur and ruby red eyes. Or it had been sleeping. They stared at each other for several seconds before engaging in a wrestling match. The tatzelwurm, whose name was Lucy, immediately bursted into ribbons after being constrained and shot into the circle on his hand, confirming his hypothesis. He ended up repeating the same process with two manticores, Kazumi and Mordecai, and a second dragon, Zurich, on the way back to town. As soon as he reached Sentia, he was bombarded with questions.

"How many monsters did you see?"

"What foul beast did this to you?"

"Did you bring back the heads of the monsters you killed?"

" **SILENCE!** " He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I can't fucking think with you crowding me like this." He heard some shuffle backwards. "Alright listen, while I was dealing with your problem I came to the conclusion that you are just making things harder for yourselves." He could hear whispers breaking out. He couldn't care less. "These monsters are just trying to protect themselves from what they think are threats. If you actually left them alone, or helped them, they wouldn't bother you. Hell, you could probably coax some into being pets if you tried! I've already managed to tame  _ several _ in less than a day." Gasps filled the air.

"How dare you insinuate that this is our fault!"

"To have beast side with you so readily, you must be a witch!"

"Perhaps he is a monster in disguise?"

"I'm not a witch or a monster! And these monsters which you claim are evil are nothing more than animals trying to survive! If you actually tried, you could probably domesticate them!"

"Lies!"

"Trickery!"

Before he could defend himself, the townsfolk had grabbed him. "HEY!"

"Lock him up! The recruiter will be here tomorrow for some new meat for the gladiator pit!"

Yells surrounded him as he was tied up and dragged to a cell.

"You'll sleep here tonight beast!"

Ichigo sighed. He really should learn to just keep his mouth shut around these kinds of people.


	2. An Okay Ending

"Looks like you won't be able to take part in damnatio ad bestias. Shame, I really wanted to see if you could sway those creatures to your side like those townsfolk said you could. Thankfully there are other prisoners for you to fight. Actually, you're scheduled to go right after ad bestias. Second match. You're gonna be given your sword in the prep room so don't worry about what weapon you'll be using! Isn't that nice of us? Oh, you're also on the market so be sure to do your best out there. Maybe you'll get lucky and the military will buy you. Or better yet, a noble. Wouldn't that be something? Much better than bleeding to death in front of thousands, am I right?"

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Go bother someone else."

"Rude."

The guard huffed and turned his attention towards another prisoner. Fucking finally. The bastard had been annoying him ever since he had been dragged out of the wagon three hours ago. Zangetsu's growling and hissing had escalated to full blown yowling and death threats. Hell, even Ossan was grumbling about it. At least he would be getting his zanpakuto back, that would be extremely beneficial in his upcoming matches, though he highly doubted he'd need to release his shikai. He was fighting against humans after all. He probably wouldn't even need to use his mask! Whatever. Hopefully the damnatio ad bestias and the first match would go by quick, he really needed to release some of the rage that's been burning through his veins for the past twenty-four hours.

× ×  ×

"And there goes the last bestiarii. What a marvelous show our drakes gave us today."

Cheers filled the air. In the balcony, a man dressed in blue and gold robes scoffed. A look of disgust painted his face as he watched the beasts being taken away. He sneered before turning to his companion, a woman in green.

"Why're we here again?" An exasperated sigh met his question.

"We're here to find soldiers. Because, according to your father, these gladiatorial fights are the best place to find soldiers who'll work for cheap." He squinted at her and frowned.

"Sound like a bunch of bullshit if I'm bein' honest Lisa."

"Whatever you say  _ Shinji _ ." He rolled his eyes at her before turning his attention back to the announcer.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! It's the time you've all been waiting for! Our gladiators are ready to give you an experience you won't forget! So let's give it up for-" He turned his attention back to Lisa.

"If this doesn't get any better by the third fight, we're leavin'."

"As you wish."

× ×  ×

Turns out it did get better. But not in the way he thought it would.

The first match was between some guy who looked like he'd been whacked with an ugly stick and a man with the face of a rat. The ending had been predictable but it took longer than expected. After ratman had been removed and big ugly got corralled back into his cell, the fighters for the second match were released. The first person to walk into the arena was a half-troll. He looked to be nine feet tall with muscles bigger than Shinji's head and a mean underbite. But it was the second gladiator that caught his attention.

Blazing amber eyes hooded by wildfire, his face pinched in a ferocious scowl, lightly tanned skin stretched over lean muscles as he stalked into the arena with the kind of grace one would typically see in a cat. As soon as his eyes landed on his opponent his lips pulled back into a snarl, revealing that his canines and premolars were sharper than a normal human's, and his body coiled up, ready to strike, as bloodlust practically oozed off his body.

It had been  _ years _ since he last felt fear flow through his veins, since he had felt his body scream  _ back off, they'll kill you. _ To feel such an emotion after going so long without it, it was exciting. The fact the man was pretty good looking was also a plus. He turned to one of the attendants.

"Who's the strawberry?"

A look of shock flickered across their face ( _ what, did they think he wasn't going to questions about the contestants? That was the reason they were here! _ ) before answering.

"That would be Ichigo. Apparently he's a witch."

"Apparently?"

The man shuffled. "Yes, well, apparently he can tame monsters so the people in the town he came from say he's a witch."

"They do know there are such things as court magicians and beast tamers right?"

"The town was near the border so their beliefs are quite old fashioned."

"Huh," He'd have to do something about that later, but for now..."How much?"

The bastard actually did a double-take. "What?"

"Fer him." He pointed at the redhead and grinned,"How much?"

× ×  ×

The fight was, for lack of a better term, completely one-sided. His opponent ( _ a fucking half-troll, what the hell?! _ ) had immediately charged at him as soon as the gates were open. Dodging had been painfully easy, to the point he could just take a step to the side and be completely fine. His attacks weren't much better. Sure his punches cracked the ground, but in the end, he was slow and stupid. It had only taken two minutes to take him down when he had decided to stop dodging. It had been pathetic and annoying.

Sighing as he leaned against the cell wall his eyes drifted towards the door. He had been led back to his cell much faster than the others and he had heard envious whispers from the other prisoners.

Apparently, some rich noble was trying to purchase him. And as much as he  **_hated_ ** being sold like some sort of product, he knew that it could be a good thing. After all, if he stayed here, he'd be forced to fight until he died.

So he waited. Waited for footsteps that would either bring him to a noble or back to the ring.

He didn't have to wait long.

He could hear voices coming closer to his cell as footsteps echoed down the hall. One of which was alarmingly familiar. It took everything within him not to do a double-take. Outside his cell, dressed in rich blue and gold, with hair falling just below his shoulders, was the grinning form of one Shinji Hirako.

Not his Hirako obviously but he still was a version of him.

"Here he is. You sure you want him?" His grin grew wider.

"Yep." And with that he was quickly escorted out of his cell and into a fancy carriage. Well, Shinji had been the son of a lesser clan so it was probably the same way here.

"So," Sharp eyes snapped onto him, "Is there something special I should call you or is blondie okay?"

Brown eyes lit up with amusement as he grinned. "Name's Shinji Hirako, but ya can call me Shinji."

"I think I'll call you dumbass instead."

Seeing the blonde pout was immensely satisfying. Just cause he wasn't the same asshole he was used to didn't change just how pleasurable it was to see him look so adorable. The blonde immediately started whining about how mean he was and how he should be grateful, so Ichigo turned his attention to the window. He had managed to ignore the other man until -

"Ya know, not many people get ta live with a' prince." Amber slid over to meet umber. He scoffed.

"You? A prince? I highly doubt that."

The blonde's eyes widened before a wolfish grin spread across his face. "Oh, but I am. Do ya really know nothin' about the royal family? I am the eldest of eight and the current successor to the throne." He leaned forward. "Not only am I a prince but I'm also the current heir." He cocked his head to the side, "Does that intimidate ya?" Ichigo scoffed.

"Should it? As far as I'm concerned, you're just some blonde asshole who thinks he's hot shit." He wasn't expecting the look Hirako gave him.

Instead of looking offended or irritated, he looked pleased. So Ichigo flipped him off.

"What's this?" Pale fingers snaked around his wrist before prying his hand open. Oh yeah, that weird circle, he had forgotten about that. He rolled his eyes.

"No idea what it's actually called, I just know it lets me summon any monster that I've subdued."

Brown eyes shone with curiosity as he traced the lines encircling the redhead's palm. "Interestin'."

"Annoying more like it. Damn thing's part of why I was imprisoned in the first place."

"Oh yeah, there's one more thing I should tell ya."

"What is it?"

Before Ichigo could blink, the blonde's hands snapped around his wrists. The grin on his face growing darker and more feral as a possessive glint entered his eyes. His eyes widened as the blonde straddled his lap. Shinji purred.

"I will kill anyone that looks at you the way I look at you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Highly doubt anyone's going to look at me like that you fucking psycho. Now if you'd kindly  _ get off _ and explain just  _ where _ I'll be sleeping and  _ what _ my job's going to be, that would be just fantastic." 

Pleased with having gotten his word across, his grin returned to normal and he released Ichigo's wrists before returning to his seat.

"You'll either be staying in the room next ta mine or in mine, since yer, ya know,  _ mine. _ As fer yer job, you'll be playing bodyguard."

"Great."

× ×  ×

Well, at least the courtyard looked nice. With a small pond surrounded by weeping cherry trees, a field full of colorful and exotic flowers, a large stable inhabited by multiple types of mounts, and a seemingly endless bailey, it was obvious that Hirako's family were all about appearance. How wonderful.

He let out a huff as the carriage slowed to a stop, his eyes sliding over to the blonde that was currently passed out on his shoulder. His mouth slightly ajar as little puffs of air blew passed his lips, a soft blush across his face. He had forgotten that Shinji was actually pretty cute when he wasn't being an absolute asshole. He gently shook him awake. 

"Think you can walk or do you need me to carry you?"

At first he looked confused at the question, squinting and mouth curving into a small frown, before turning to look outside. Recognition flashed across his face before turning to Ichigo with a lazy grin.

"I think I can manage. At least fer another hour."

"Whatever you say."

"Careful, I might take ya up on the offer."

He rolled his eyes as he stepped out onto solid ground, only to immediately be escorted into the castle. Apparently they had returned early and the servants assigned to Shinji were panicking due to the lack of time to properly set up Ichigo's quarters. What a hassle, he could sleep in the stable for the night if it was causing this much trouble just to get him situated. When he had told this to the head servant, they looked aghast and ushered him towards the kitchens, saying that a temporary sleeping area could be easily whipped up and that a bodyguard should never sleep anywhere but a bed. He considered telling them that he'd slept in worse places but decided against it.

"So I hear there's a severe lack of beds in yer quarters," A lazy purr attracts his attention, "And wouldn't ya know it? My bed's big enough fer five, care to join me?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On whether you're going to be a perv or not." He turns to face the blonde. "Prison bunks aren't exactly the most comfortable to sleep on, so I'd  _ appreciate _ it if you actually let me sleep." A pair of pale hands were held up in defense.

"I promise not to molest ya. I do, on the other hand, expect some cuddles."

Ichigo raked his hand through his hair as a frustrated growl left his lips. "Fine."

He decided to ignore the pleased smile and the sudden skip in Shinji's step as he was led down the hallway. They passed several regal portraits and a seemingly endless amount of rooms before stopping in front a pair of large red oak doors with a sphinx carved into one side and a kitsune in the other. He'd bet an arm and a leg that this was Shinji's room. The blonde pushed open the doors.

"Welcome to my humble abode." He said as he gestured to the inside of the room.

The innards of the room were far from humble. The bed was big enough to fit three Kenpachis, there were blankets and pillows of various sizes strewn about, and the room itself was about the same size as a small house. He scoffed.

"Humble my ass." The blonde smothered a snicker before tugging him inside. Hirako then promptly started to rummage through his dressers as Ichigo got a better look at the inside of the room. The roof was a dome covered with an intricate painting of a lush forest filled with owls, foxes, and a majestic golden stag. He had to admit, it was pretty impressive.

"Ah-ha! Found it!" Ichigo whirled around, "Here, try this on." A dark red nightgown with golden hems was thrust into his arms. Before he could say anything, he was pushed behind a folding screen. Annoyed by the manhandling, he quickly changed. The last thing he needed was Hirako to peek behind the screen.

Thankfully, the gown was as comfortable as it was pretty. The fabric was soft and breathable. It hung loose but not loose enough to fall off. Satisfied, he stepped out and was immediately met with Shinji, who was dressed in a light blue gown. After giving Ichigo a cursory glance, he tugged the taller male towards the bed.

Thoroughly done with being pushed around, he promptly picked up the blonde in a princess carry. Shinji yelped in surprise and threw his arms around the redhead's neck while pressing himself as far into Ichigo's chest as he could, nuzzling into his neck. Smirking at how the tides had turned, he carried the blonde over to the bed, pulled back the numerous blankets, and plopped down onto the bed.

Hirako squeaked and pouted at the larger male, who merely smirked in response. His eyes flickered gold as the smaller male wiggled out of his grip and onto the mattress. Pale fingers wrapped around a tan wrist as Ichigo was pulled down to lay beside the blonde. How annoying, did he really think he was so helpless that he needed to be led like a dog?

Scoffing, he tugged the other against him and curled protectively around him, ignoring the halfhearted protests that poured from the blonde mouth. Chuckling when the protests turn to whines as he nuzzles against the redhead, pressing against his body like a cat demanding attention before going limp.

Pleased with proving themselves dominant, Zangetsu pulls away from his king's mind, allowing him and their new pet to peacefully slip into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 1:  
> ❧ Time travel/dimension travel AU  
> ❧ “I will kill anyone that looks at you the way I look at you.”  
> ❧ Bed/clothes sharing

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1:  
> ❧ Time travel/dimension travel AU


End file.
